Which do you think is scarier: The number of swine flu deaths reported by the media? Or the fact that the H1N1 vaccine (first doses go out today), which the government is encouraging everyone to get, is so new?

There's so much information out there and so much panic that some moms are confused about how to make a good decision about whether to get the shot. I asked Neonds13, group owner of Educate Before You Vaccinate, to explain why she will not be getting the H1N1 vaccine.

CafeMom: Will you or your children be getting the swine flu vaccine?

No. In my opinion, this is very bad vaccine. It was made too quickly and under too much pressure. There are preservatives, chemicals, toxins, and heavy metals in this vaccine that are not safe and have been proven to cause long-term neurological damage and disorders. These ingredients have also been known to cause GBS (Guillain-Barre syndrome), developmental disorders, mental and physical paralysis, and auto-immune disorders. The vaccine also contains mercury and thimerosal, which were supposed to be barred from ALL vaccines several years ago but never were. (Several vaccines on the market and in current use today STILL contain mercury and thimerosal.) Also, the nasal mist vaccine contains the living virus of the vaccine: this means that you could actually get the illness from the vaccine itself, and you are potentially contagious for 7-10 days after receiving it.

If you were pregnant or had a pre-existing health condition that put you at high-risk for flu complications, would you consider it?

No.I would still take my chances with the virus over getting a vaccine that has not been thoroughly tested, studied, and trialed. And, I still would not want all those toxic ingredients injected into my bloodstream. I just cannot see how anyone can think that injecting things into your body—like mercury, thimerosal, aluminum, formaldehyde, animal tissue and DNA, aborted fetal tissue, human and animal genes, acetone, ect. —is going to make you safer, healthier, and give you immunity. In reality, all those things just weaken your immune system while your body is fighting off all that junk, making you more susceptible to picking up other viruses and bacterias.

Lots of moms and pregnant women are terrified by recent news reports of deaths of pregnant women and children from the swine flu and, therefore, are considering getting the H1N1 vaccine. Do you think it's difficult to make a smart decision when there's so much hysteria surrounding this issue?

I do think it's hard for people to make a smart decision when every time they turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper, or go online they are bombarded with this hysteria of the "horrible pandemic" and that they NEED to get their swine flu vaccine to stay safe and keep their loved ones safe. It's truly maddening how the media and the government is using every scare tactic in their power to convince people that this is some sort of plague that will kill you no matter what.

So then what advice would you give to other moms who are trying to decide whether or not to get the vaccine?

DO YOUR HOMEWORK! And by that I mean, do your OWN homework. Don't just take the word of your doctor because nine times out of 10, they are just as clueless as the rest of the country. They are only telling you what they've been told OR have been told to tell you. Use search engines on the Internet and look at non-mainstream news stories and articles. Use CafeMom and join one of the many vaccine groups; however, my advice on that, though, is to join one that is not completely one-sided. I do recommend my own group, Educate Before You Vaccinate. It's open to all moms no matter how they choose to vaccinate. All I ask of the moms in my group is that they be open-minded and respectful to everyone's choices, beliefs, and opinions on vaccines. My group is NOT a debate group, and I have worked very hard to keep it "drama-free".

If a mom is on the fence about whether or not she or her children should receive the vaccine, where could she go to get good information?

All I can do is continue to encourage moms to educate themselves and do the research before making any hasty decisions about getting the swine flu vaccine. Know the ingredients, know ALL the side effects, ask your doctor to see the package inserts from the vaccine box or ask to get a copy to take home and read. Ask questions and keep asking until you are satisfied. Don't get this vaccine before you are positive you can make a well-informed and well-educated decision about it.